In 1949, the Boys Clubs of Silver Spring was charted under the direction of a group of civic-minded Silver Spring citizens headed by Harry F. Duncan, after whom the building is named. In 1953, through efforts of Williams R. Devries, and the Silver Spring Optimist Club, the Silver Spring Club merged with the Boys Club of operation in October, 1958, on property contributed by Mr. Sam Eig and the Silver Spring Kiwanis Club to form the Silver Spring Boys and Girls Club. In 1991, the Montgomery County Police/Sheriff’s Rockville Branch was established at the former Lone Oak School. The Rockville Club was closed in 1999.

The history of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (B&GCGW), parent agency of the Silver Spring Boys & Girls Club, dates back to 1886 when the Newsboys and Children’s Aid Society was established in the District of Columbia. With the support of the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C. a new board of trustees was formed and officially established Boys Club of Washington. In 1973, the B&GCGW became the first club of Boys & Girls Club of America to officially include girls as full and equal partners. B&GCGW is one of the metropolitan Washington area’s largest and oldest youth serving organizations, providing a full range of youth development programs for the past 114 years.